1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to sun protection, and more particularly to a sun protection device which is attachable to a hat, where the device shades a person's head, neck and ears from the sun.
2. Related Art
People often wear hats to protect themselves from the sun. Many types of hats have brims that extend outward from the hat to shade the wearer's head and face. In some cases, the brim extends all the way around the hat, providing shade for not only the face, but also the ears and neck. In other cases, the brim extends only part-way around the hat and provides shade for only a part of the wearer's head. For example, one of the most popular types of hats—a baseball cap—has a brim that extends from the front of the cap and consequently only shades the wearer's face.
It is therefore apparent that a hat such as a baseball cap may not provide adequate protection from the sun, and may allow a wearer's ears and neck to become sunburned. Even hats that have brims which extend all the way around the hat may not provide adequate sun protection, as the wearer may hold his or her head in such a position that shade from the brim does not fall on the wearer's ears and neck. For instance, the wearer may be working in a garden and looking downward, so that the brim on the back of the hat extends upward to some degree.
One solution to this problem is a drape, or piece of fabric, that is attached to the sides and back of a hat. When the hat is placed on the wearer's head, the drape hangs down over the wearer's ears and neck, protecting them from the sun, even if the wearer tilts his or her head. The drape may also provide the benefit of shielding the wearer's ears and neck from insects. Hats with these types of drapes may have their own drawbacks, however. For example, hats with drapes may not be considered fashionable, and there are typically very few of these types of hats from which to choose. Still fewer have removable drapes. In some cases, a drape is attachable to a specific hat by a zipper, snaps, Velcro or other means which are provided specifically for the purpose of attaching the drape to the hat. In other cases, a drape is made to be attachable to various hats by clips or other means. All of these means for fastening drapes are referred to herein as “drape fasteners”. Commonly, the drapes make the hats quite unattractive.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a sun protection device for use with various different types of hats that overcomes one or more of the problems described above.